No More Stalling Over Sewage

Our Towns: Old Saybrook

January 20, 1997

Old Saybrook's losing battle with the state Department of Environmental Protection appears to be over at last. Now, town officials can finally get serious about finding solutions to persistent groundwater pollution problems.

The state Supreme Court ruled this month that the town intentionally contributed to groundwater contamination by failing to take steps to clean up failed septic systems. The town did win a concession during the years it battled the DEP as it successfully fended off an order to install a regional sewer treatment plant to serve Old Saybrook, Westbrook and Clinton.

The town has a year to assess current and future treatment needs and design an effective method to clean waste. The DEP has generously agreed to pay for 55 percent of the study, which will help mitigate the $67,980 in fines ordered by the court for the town's noncompliance.

The town's agreement with DEP puts Old Saybrook on a fast schedule, which considering the more than two decades of talk about resolving pollution problems makes sense. Within two years, the town must have a plan approved by DEP and, within four years, must have construction completed.

Doing the job right will require a hard look at all neighborhoods with dense development, high water tables or other conditions that can lead to groundwater contamination. The town may be able to propose community septic systems or even a small townwide treatment plant to resolve its problems.

The state, however, will have final say, so it would behoove Old Saybrook to be thorough to avoid a new round of arguments or state recommendations for a more expensive remedy or even renewal of the regional treatment plant concept.